Impending nursing graduate will leave her mark in campus ministry

Brittany Rose figured out what she wanted to do with the rest of her life at an early age. A summer spent caring for an ailing great-grandmother had her wanting to become a nurse before she entered the ninth grade.

She almost was as quick in knowing where she wanted to attain her nursing degree. Her mother graduated from Avila University in the 1980s with an education degree, and Rose was well-aware of the stellar reputation of the University’s School of Nursing.

“I first visited Avila my sophomore year in high school, and it was when they opened the new lab,” said Rose, a senior from Blue Springs, Mo. “I just remember being really excited at all that was happening there.

“I went for an overnight stay my junior year, and then my senior year, I went back for freshman orientation.”

Since then, Rose had made the most of her time on the Avila campus. Not only is she a dean’s list student, she has resided on campus her entire four years and has been heavily involved in campus ministry, helping and arranging community service projects.

“When I found I could do campus ministry and receive a grant, I decided not to play volleyball and do that instead,” she said. “I grew up in an environment where service was important. Now, I’m a co-leader of service. I’ve gone from helping at events, to planning events, to helping people plan events. It’s been a great experience.”

In fact, Rose received the S. Ellen Marie Gavin Award for outstanding work in campus ministry her sophomore year, something that’s quite rare for an underclassman.

“She’s the best student I’ve ever worked with,” said Dave Armstrong, director of campus ministry and mission effectiveness at Avila. “Her leadership to the other students has been inspiring. She’ll be an outstanding nurse. She cares about people. It’s the perfect profession for her.”

Rose will walk across a stage and accept her diploma in May and then head out into the working world, leaving behind the place she’s loved as her home the last four years.

“I’ve had several senior moments where I look back at where I started and where I’ve come,” she said. “It’s mind-blowing. My freshman year, I was quiet and shy. My leadership abilities have grown tremendously. I have confidence in myself and my abilities to work in my career.” AU